Internal-combustion engine.



J. LOFTUS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. e, 1912.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. LOFTUS. v INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 0, 1912,

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

auuewto o m 0 L 5 M m ma 1 4 X l c A TY/ I Tt :fiEIEiTQIJ 4 3 a 1 L 5 2 JOHN LOFTUS. OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

'INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

Application filed September 6. 1912. Serial No. 718,892.

Be it known that l, Jonx Lor'rt's. a eiti- Zen of the United States. residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York. have invented eertain new and useful linprovenu-nts in Internal -Colnbustion Engines. of whit-h the tollowing is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to immevements in" internal combustion engines, and more partieularly to that elass or type in whieh the power and compression eylinders and pisstons are arranged in axial line with eaeh other, the primary objeet being to provide a generally in'iproved internal onibnstion or hydruearbon engine 01 exeeedingly simple. eheap. and et'lieient eonst-rueti n. the present embodiment being partimi lrnly designed and adapted for use in eonneetion with Join-- tite fuels or liquid l vdroearhons ot low ape eitie grznity. sueh as benZin. gasolene. naphtha. petrol. and the like. which \olatilize. readily on exposure to the atmosphere or (m the applieation of heat.

item-rally speaking. the invention eonsists in a power ylinder provided with a Vlindri -al aliutnient head extending into and spared tron: its side walls forming an annular eoinbustion ehan'eber and a (Uttllllllttl power and eompression piston in the form ot' a trunk piston or shell, the latter operating ver and in eonjnn tiou with Htitl e v lindrual abutment and within said annular eo hnstion ehamber and toriuing a roulpres ii'in 'lsamber in front of said eyliiulrieal abutment. said eonipression ehalnber within said trunh piston being adapted to 006perate with the adjacent parts and to be thrown into and out of eon'nuunieation with said annular combustion or power rhanil'ier.

ll'ith the above mention d and other ends in \ieu. the invention consists in the. nov l onstruetion. arrangement. and eonihination of parts. hereinafter desuribml. illustrated in ne ol' its t'HIlHHllltNlltS in the aw'onlpaufv ing drawings. and p:.n't ieula.rly pointed out in the appended elainis.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this s 'ieeitieation. Figure 1. is a central \ertieal seeti nal view of an engine eoir slru ted in aeeordanee with my invention. the imprint-d piston being shown at or near the end of its down lt(1l(t. Fig. a imilar view of the same with the trunk pi ton in its upper position, the valve ring in the abutment head liieing open establishing eonnnunieation between the compression and combustion chambers. and the exhaust valve being open for the exhaust of the burnt gases. Fig. 3, a similar view showing the trunk piston in its initial downward movement or stroke just after the ignition or explosion of the combustible charge, the valves being closed. Fig. 4, an enlarged perspeetive View of the. valve ring in the cylindrieal abutment for opening and closing communication. between the combustion and eonn'iression chambers.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

The improved engine comprises a, power or working eyliruler I, provided with a eyl ndrieal abutment or head 2. extending in and spared from its side walls forming an annular eomhustion el'ian'iher 3, said power or working eylinder l. in the present instance. heing provided with a crank ease or base t. The eranh case is pr vided with suitable hearings 4 for the reception of a. suitahle eranh shaft the latter being protitled with a orana 5, eonneeted to the trant: piston hereinafter described, by means of a piston rod 6.

it will he understood that. any eonve tent and suitable nuniher of power cylinders and trunt; pistons with their appurtenances may hieinphnwi. and any uitable and convenient arra itf an hrovided. as in automobiles. r the liiit,

The power and t' itli n'essluli pistons T and 8 rwm-etirely. are meter-ably arranged integral in the form ot a trunk piston shell. the latter re-"eiving and being adapted to reeiprorate over the qvlindrieal ahutnient and within the annular eon'ipression or power ehamher t. of the power or Working cylinder l.

it will he shell t ornis n ronipressim, or pump ehamliel' I huh-teen the abutment and the (\iiHPIQS' sion piston so that the iililli'tffsl tlt ehani her is formed within the trunk piston shell. as shown.

As a means for conducting the fuel oil or fluid lrvi'lroearbmi (or eoinbustible charge. it a earbureter is used) the eylindrieal abutment 2. is provided with a centrally located longitudinally extei'uling bore or eharge inlet port I (-onnnunieating at one end with a suitable tluid inlet port or eonduit pipe ll, and provided at its opposite end with a valve 12, the latter eing adapted to 013GB and close with the reciprocation of the trunk piston,

and being provided with a valve stem 12",.

projecting outside of the working cylinder head and provided with a suitable spring 13, and adjusting nuts 13. 7

As a means for giving the incoming fluid, or combustible charge, as the case may be, a spiral or gyratory motion, and particularly as a further means if volatilizing a volatile liquid l'iydrocarbou through hcat transmitted through the walls of the abutment 2, the bore or inlet duct is provided with spiral grooves 10, it being obvious that upon the initial downward movement of the trunk piston, the valve 12 will open to permit the passage of the fuel charge into the compression or pump chamber 9 as indicated in Fig. 1, and that upon the return movement of the trunk piston, the valve 12, will be closed and the fuel charge compressed therein until transferred into the annular combustion chamber 3, as hereinafter described The terminating portion 2, of the cylindrical abutment- 2, which is adapted to remain within the trunk piston at all times is of slightly larger diameter than the remain ing portion of the cylindrical abutment so that.- an annular charge transfer space 2*, is provided for the transfer of the combustible charges under compression from the compression chamber 9, at a proper time, by the operation of a valve in the terminating portion 2, of the abutment 2, to be now described.

As a means for opening and closing communication between the annular combustion or working chamber 3, and the compression or pump chamber 9, the abutment 2, is provided at or near its terminating portion 2 with an annular valve groove or way 2, containing a valve ring 14, loosely mounted therein, said valve ring closely fitting within and against the walls of the trunk piston and being provided with a series of stop pins or studs 14*, (see Fig. 4 so that when in its upper or open position, as shown in Fig. 2, a passage-way will be formed over and about the same leading to the annular combustion cha'i'nber 3, through the charge transfer space 2", and communicating with the compression chamber 9, when the position of the trunk piston has brought the vertically extending charge transfer grooves 8 into communication with the valve groove 2, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 2, of the drawings. The terminating portion 2, of the cylindrical abutment 2, is provided with a ring 15, fitting within the compression chamber 9, of the trunk piston shell thus serving to confine and compress the fuel charge within the compression chamber 9, until the transfer grooves 8, of the latter are brought past the same and into communication with the annular valve groove or way 2, and the valve ring 4, is elevated whereby the charge is permitted to escape under compression into the annular combustion or working chamber 3, as above cxplained.

The burnt gases or products of combustion are permitted to escape through an exhaust or eduction port: 16, by the opening of an exhaust valve 17, as illustrated in Fig. 2, of the drawings, said valve 17, being adapted to be operated in any suitable and convenient manner, as for example,by means of a spring resisted valve stem 17", operated by a spring resisted rod 18, mounted in bearin 19, and riding on a suitable cam 20, on t crank shaft 5, as illustrated in Fig 1, the drawings. 7

The combustible charge in the annular combustion or working chamber 3, is adapted to be ignited at suitable intervals through the medium of a suitable spark plug 21, and suitable electrical coni'iections, as for ere ample,in the present instance, through lit 1 medium of a contact pin or element adapted to make contact with the contactv spring 23, the latter being insulated from and carried by a lever member 24, said lever member being adapted to be operated a: i left in certain predetermined positions whereby the exact time of ignition may be regulated with respect to the position of the trunk piston.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention, Wiutt I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder provided with a valved cylindrical abutment extending therein and forming an annular combustion chamber, and a trunk piston shell forming a compression chamber in front of said cylindrical abutment and provided with charge transfer members adapted to cooperate with said valved cylindrical abutment and open and close communication between said combus tion and compression chambers.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a

power cylinder provided with a valved cylindrical abutment extending therein and forming an annular combustion chamber, and a trunk piston shell forming a compression chamber in front of said cylindrical abutment and provided with charge trans fer means adapted to be brought into and out of communication with said annular combustion chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engin a power cylinder provided with a cylindiical abutment extending therein forming an in;- nular combustion chamber. a trurl piston shell operable in the latter and forming a compression chamber in fron 01. said cylm drical abutment, and valve mechanism within said abutment adapted to open and close communication with said compression chamber during the reciprocation of said trunk piston shell.

In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder provided with a cylindrical abutment having an annular valve groove and a valved charge inlet port, a trunk piston shell provided at one end with charge transfer grooves adapted to be brought into and out of communication with said annular valve groove, and a valve ring spaced from the inner walls of said valve groove and adapted to reciprocate therein.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder-,provided with a cylindrical abutment forming an annular combustion chamber, said cylindrical abutment havin a longitudinally extending bore provided wlth spirally arranged grooves, a valve at the inner end of said bore and provided with a spring resisted adjustably mounted valve stem extending therethrough, a trunk piston shell forming a compression chamber in front of said cylindrical abutment, and a valve in the lower end of said abutment adapted to open and close communication between said compression and combustion chambers.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder provided with a cylindrical abutment and an annular combustion chamber, a trunk piston shell operable on said abutment and within said annular combustion chamber and forming a compression chamber in front of said abutment, valves in the latter and adapted to be alternately opened and closed with the reciprocation of said trunk piston shell whereby fuel charges are successively received, compressed. and transferred into said annular combustion chamber, and a valve eduction port communicating with the latter.

7. ln an internal combustion engine, a

power cylinder provided with a cylindrical abutment having a valved inlet port and having an annular valve groove, a valve ring loosely mounted therein, and a-trunk piston shell mounted in said "power cylinder and adapted to reciprocate over said abutment and forming a compression chamber in front of the latter, said trunk piston shell being provided with charge transfer grooves or ports adapted to be brought into and out of communication with said annular valve groove.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder provided with a cylindrical abutment, the latter being provided with an enlarged terminating portion or head having an annular valve groove, a trunk piston shell fitted on and adapted to reciprocate on said enlarged terminating portion and provided with charge transfer grooves adapted to be brought into and out of communication with said annular valve groove, and a valve ring loosely mounted in said annular valve groove and to reciprocate therein in cooperation with said trunk piston shell and charge transfer grooves.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder provided with a cylindrical abutment head spaced from the side walls forming an annular combustion chamber, a trunk piston shell receiving said abutment head and operable in said annular combustion chamber, said trunk piston shell forming a compression chamber, means for opening and closing communication between the combustion and compression ch mbers, and valved outlet and inlet ports communicating with the latter.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LOFTU S.

Witnesses I JosEPH J. toA'rns, C. R. KNAPP. 

